1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle lamp unit and more particularly to a lamp unit having an integral fluid dispensing nozzle.
2. Discussion
Vehicles having large rear windows, particularly mini-vans, are frequently equipped with a wiper and a fluid nozzle for allowing the vehicle operator to periodically dispense a cleaning fluid and actuate the wiper to clean the rear window. These nozzles have previously been incorporated in various positions in either the rear door or a rear surface of the vehicle body. Placement of the nozzle in these positions, however, is attendant with several drawbacks.
One such drawback has been the inclusion of an additional hole in the door or body of the vehicle needed to mount the nozzle. This additional hole increases the tooling and piece costs of these items, as well as provides a path by which water may enter into an unfinished interior compartment within the vehicle door or body in an undetected manner, thereby significantly increasing the potential for corrosion. Other drawbacks include the need for dedicated labor on the vehicle assembly line to install the nozzle, as well as the negative impact on the overall appearance of the vehicle.
As the nozzle assembly is frequently positioned in close proximity to the center high mount stop lamp (CHMSL) or other light source, it would be particularly advantageous to incorporate a fluid dispensing nozzle assembly into a lamp assembly to thereby eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a lamp assembly having a fluid nozzle assembly for dispensing a fluid.